No Time to Regret, It's Time to Forget

When I Was Born to Be the Tortoise, I Was Born to Walk Alone

Anna's hair was still the same dark brown, but cropped short to just brush her shoulders. Unsurprisingly, she was no longer as thin as she had been when Natasha had last seen her (they weren't ballerinas anymore). Her sheath dress was slate grey and hugged her shape becomingly; Natasha wasn't sure that the head of a security company would want to project that image, but it clearly was working out for her. When the elevator closed, Anna turned around a smiled, her green eyes sparkling.

"I thought it was you. It's been a long time," she said almost shyly.

"It has," Natasha agreed, taking a few steps forward, surprised at how relieved she was to see the girl she had once known safe and sound.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Anna glanced at the ground, then met Natasha's eye. "I'm sure you're not here just to exchange pleasantries. I hear you're kept pretty busy these days."

"Well, you know me. I hate having free time," Natasha replied, tentatively walking over to stand beside the other woman.

Anna laughed. "I do remember that about you, Natalia."

"Anna, I'm here because you're in danger. We all are."

"Danger? This is one of the best security firms in the world," Anna began, looking skeptical.

Natasha shook her head and fought the urge to shake her friend as well. "I'm sure that's why they haven't gotten to you yet, but I'm afraid we're being targeted," she corrected a little more harshly than intended.

"Targeted?" Anna gasped.

"Yes."

The shocked expression on Anna's face faded and she became very serious. "It seems like you have a lot to tell me. Why don't I order some tea and we'll find somewhere more comfortable to talk."

"Sounds like a plan," Natasha replied, feeling relieved.

There was a nice enough conference room on the same floor, and the woman who had escorted Natasha earlier reappeared with tea to lead them inside. Anna dismissed her, and took the seat at the head of the table. After a pause, Natasha sank into the one beside her, considering what she really knew about this woman. They hadn't been friends, not particularly; just accepted that they were allies toward the end. No word on her had met Natasha's ears in all the long years since she had escaped the Red Room to be with Alexei, short-lived as that had been. Putting all her trust in Anna was not a wise course, but she wasn't sure how much she should divulge.

Sensing her hesitance, Anna offered her a smile as she poured the tea. "So, I've heard all about your exploits in the last few years. I must say, I am impressed."

Natasha returned the expression. "I'm sure it's been oversold. I'm just doing my job."

"Saving the world?"

"Sometimes," she answered with a shrug. "How long have you been in the security game?"

Anna fixed her with a look that Natasha remembered all too well learning in her youth, and she wondered what secrets the other woman could read on her face. "What memories do you have?"

Natasha blinked at her, thrown by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Have you gotten it all back or are parts missing?" she clarified.

"Parts are missing. But I don't think there is anything important that I've lost."

Anna snorted. "Yes, that's how I always feel before something comes back in a dream that I don't understand," she said with surprising bitterness.

"We don't have to talk about it," Natasha offered.

"No, it's fine. Were you still around when Elena... when we lost Elena?"

Natasha shook her head. "I'm sorry," she added, surprised at how close to tears Anna was at the reference.

"It shouldn't have been... It wasn't that big of a mission. Just getting information from some old man with a loose tongue, nothing we hadn't done plenty of times before." She looked down at her hands, twisting in her lap. "Anyway, she must have been made, because his people took her into custody. And... you know what our orders were in that eventuality."

The anger in Anna's tone was understandable, and Natasha reached for her hand. "There wasn't anything you could have done," she said soothingly.

Anna barked out a laugh. "No? Well, I'm afraid I went rogue when I got the news. Took care of that asset so he wouldn't hurt any more girls. Our bosses, Madame in particularly, were not pleased with me."

"I can imagine her ire," Natasha put in when Anna didn't immediately continue. They exchanged a smile in reminiscence.

"Anyway, Elena was the last one who ... Things had been going downhill, ever since you left. And then we lost three more. So there was a lot of pressure from above. I guess... I guess what I did was the last straw. The program was dissolved after that."

"And I'm sure they just let you all out the front door and waved goodbye."

The image elicited a real laugh from Anna, and she shook off her distress, sitting up again and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Exactly! I always knew you were good with the details."

Natasha laughed as well, leaning back in her chair. "So, what was their plan for the remaining master spies they'd created?"

Staring into the middle distance, Anna shrugged. "Well, who knows. We were lucky not to be sent off to Siberia. Madame arranged for us to be offered jobs in the intelligence community. We all took them initially, but I don't think many of us stayed. I haven't kept in touch with any of them, I'm afraid."

"That's unfortunate," Natasha began, but thought better of moving their conversation onto more pressing matters. She had the time, and wanted to learn more about her before revealing too much.

"Anyway, I worked a few odd jobs for a while. I even tried dancing. It wasn't... very lucrative. But it got me some of the right contacts and I was able to parlay that into running security for them."

"Really? That's impressive."

Anna smiled self-effacingly. "Well, it was alright. It was no Avengers initiative. But I've done what I can. I train and provide body guards for anyone who can afford my prices," she said with a wink. "Not that I personally do the training anymore, of course."

"No, you're a powerful businesswoman now," Natasha agreed, prompting a laugh.

"So, fill in the blanks for me. You left us to... get married?"

"Yes."

Her face must have shown her discomfort at the memory, because Anna expression changed to sympathetic. "That didn't work out for you, and you went fell back on your training for a while. Took our name for your own and made it famous. At least in the community. But then somehow SHIELD bought your loyalty, and you went to America." She paused, waiting for Natasha to explain, but she just smiled faintly. "Which is how you ended up working with Captain America and Iron Man and everyone, becoming a superhero in your own right."

Natasha laughed at that. "I think that's going a little far."

Anna smiled. "Don't underestimate yourself, Nat. That's what everyone else does."

"True," she replied, sobering.

"And things got messy with the other superheroes, and you've been lying low ever since then. At least, as far as I can tell. I haven't heard anything concrete."

"Nothing?"

"Well, there are rumors you're involved with Captain America," Anna suggested, with a giggle.

Natasha sat up straight and acted offended. "People are gossiping about my relationship status all the way over here? How appalling," she sniffed, and Anna laughed again. Before she could continue, some kind of explosion rocked the building and all she knew was noise and flames. Then everything went black.

o